EDU696: Final Blog Reflection
Week 1: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
1. How has your understanding of diversity evolved throughout your program? Explain how your ideas about diversity have been reinforced or changed.
My understanding of diversity has evolved a little bit; however, I have been in the Special Education industry for over ten years. In addition, I am also a mixed Latino woman and a great example of diversity because many different cultures are embedded in who I am. I would say they have been reinforced more by Pumpkin Spice Palpatine (I don’t like to say his real name cause I hate him so much.). No one should be persecuted for who they are, but they should be for what they DO. Actions and character are far more important than skin color when judging others.
2. How can you contribute to creating more equitable systems and practices in your current or future profession?
I can contribute to more equitable systems and practices in my profession by getting involved with organizations that support students' rights. I can accomplish this by using UDL for accessibility, using evidence-based practices, collaborating with educational professionals, and engaging in ongoing ethical reflections.
3. Share an experience where you engaged in a challenging conversation related to diversity. What did you learn from that experience?
I had to have a conversation with a mother about her son’s behavior towards girls in my class. He was in an all-girls group, grabbing things out of their hands or yelling at them, and culturally, that was allowed in his home. It was so very awkward, so I chose to say that he was rude and mean to the other girls. I have learned to adapt since then, becoming more sensitive to other people’s feelings.
Personal Reflection Question:
1. What is one question you have about diversity, equity, and inclusion as it relates to your current or future profession?
What do I do about smell? Honestly, that is my core question right now. This may not at first sound like diversity, equity, and inclusion, but hear me out. Low-income people do not always have access to hot water, showers, or other ways to keep themselves clean, leading to… well… smell. I’m working in mental health services right now, and sometimes I have to address hygiene. I hope to be as kind as possible, but I feel like there isn’t a nice way to tell someone they smell. I chose to address it by giving them a warning that I had a sensitive topic to address and that it was from a non-judgmental perspective, but I have to address it as their support specialist because hygiene is an important sign that the person is taking care of themselves or not. I followed up with high praise and played a game to gloss over the topic quickly; this technique seemed very effective. I hope I didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings, but isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? It is both a health concern AND a mental health concern because hygiene can make you feel good about yourself and vice versa. So, I ask again. What do I do about smell?
Week 2: Curriculum Alignment
1. In what ways can a clear understanding of standards enhance the quality of education and professional practice?
A clear understanding of educational standards acts as a foundation for students and educators. The standards provide a goal for all students to meet in the learning environment, along with a goal for educators to teach to. This helps to provide clarity, equity, and stability, ensuring instructional alignment between grades and educational institutions. In addition, it enables more precise assessment and data-driven decision-making, allowing teachers to evaluate specific competencies. Standards create shared responsibility, transition planning, and enhanced professional accountability.
2. How has your understanding of assessment evolved during your graduate studies?
My understanding of assessment is that it is a tool used to establish mastery of the content an educator has taught. Assessment results guide interventions to target learning gaps and provide support for students with or without exceptionalities. Assessments can accurately evaluate students’ mastery of the content, enabling teachers to adjust their teaching to help everyone succeed.
Personal Reflection Question:
1. What is one question you have about curriculum alignment as it relates to your current or future profession?
A question I have about curriculum alignment is: How can we prevent AI from interfering with it, ensuring that work produced by both students and educators is authentic?
Week 3: 21st-Century Outcomes Template
1. Reflect on the balance between using technology and traditional teaching methods in your instructional setting. How do you decide when to use technology and when not to?
Technology should be used as a tool to support teaching. I would use it when it adds to the lesson, for example, playing a School House Rock episode when learning about the process of a bill becoming law. Or watching the movie after reading the book for Of Mice and Men. Tactile abilities teach useful skills like retention and fine motor skills; therefore, it is important to continue practicing writing skills. This may seem like an outdated opinion; however, I have several teachers in my family, and I am highly concerned about the literacy rate of the next generation. Students currently lack concentration, patience, focus, fine motor skills, critical thinking, and critical writing skills. Given these skill deficits, I feel we should return to phonics and writing rather than computers and tablets.
2. How would you define 21st-century skills, and why do you believe they are important in education today?
21st-century skills are abilities, knowledge, and workplace habits that are vital to people’s success in the world. They are important to education because they are the most likely skills needed to be productive and successful in life. Per educational law, schools should provide students with the skills, knowledge, and abilities to support higher education, employment, or life skills. Therefore, 21st-century skills should align with that educational expectation.
Personal Reflection Question:
1. What is one question you have about technology as it relates to your current or future profession?
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My question is, how can technology be used to support schizophrenia symptoms? I currently work in mental health care as a behavioral health specialist (BHS2), and people with severe schizophrenia symptoms are the plague of society. It is incredibly difficult for some with severe symptoms to function in life, and I am wondering what technology can be used to help manage their symptoms.
Week 4: Educational Research Template
1. How do you believe educational research can inform and improve teaching practices?
Educational research can inform and improve teaching practices by uncovering new evidence-based methods to support learning. For example, UDL is a newer, tried-and-tested method used to improve learning tools for students across the nation. Learning should be accessible to all people, not only children; by examining how we teach new subjects, we can improve access and equity and address socio-economic problems that create barriers to learning.
2. In your opinion, what are some of the most pressing challenges facing education today that require further research?
Technology is the biggest pressing challenge. Phones, tablets, and television; while they can be great learning tools, I believe they are hindering our children’s abilities. The amount of instant gratification children get from games and tech makes it hard to develop skills like sustained attention, patience, and higher cognitive processes such as independent analysis and rationalization. How do we make learning more appealing when these constant distractions plague our existence?
Personal Reflection Question:
1. What is one question you have about action research as it relates to your current or future profession?
As a Behavioral Health Specialist, the one question I have is how Special Education relates to mental health and if there are connections between students with exceptionalities and mental health disabilities.
Week 5: Educational Collaboration Template
1. How do you envision future collaborative efforts in your educational or professional journey? What goals and aspirations do you have for future collaborations?
I am not sure what my plans are for future collaborations, as this entire educational experience has consisted of me doing most of the work myself. To be honest, I tend to work better alone, which is why I chose the path of becoming an expert in behavior, NOT teaching. They just happen to need the same degree. I may pursue the BCBA direction in the future; however, I am content with my current work as a Behavioral Health Specialist, as I actually get to support others’ lives, which has always been my ultimate goal.
2. In your opinion, what are the challenges or barriers to effective collaboration in the teaching profession, and how do you think they can be addressed?
The most common obstacle is the way the school day is organized; time and scheduling numerous individuals with different everyday tasks is tedious and requires considerable effort. There are also cultural and psychological barriers; the classroom door is essentially a boundary for privacy between the professional and the individual. This can create discomfort and apprehension for new or younger inexperienced teachers. However, we can provide a solution by building a culture of relational trust through peer collaboration or observations rather than formal critiques.
Personal Reflection Question:
1. What is one question you have about collaboration as it relates to your current or future profession?
I still have the same question about my current profession: how do I handle smell? I know I am still pondering this weeks later, and I do feel that I handled it quite well, as my client did address it by the next session. However, it still FEELS rude no matter what way I put it. Perhaps this is one of those socio-emotional learning skills that I just have to be comfortable discussing something that is inherently uncomfortable. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable is a strange concept; it is literally opposing emotions at the same time. Have you ever had to address this issue yourself? I imagine there have been some students in the past who have not smelled of roses and sunshine. What did you do?
Week 6: Final Blog Reflection
1. What academic achievements are you particularly proud of during your time in the program? How did these accomplishments contribute to your overall learning experience?
I am particularly proud of the many presentations and infographics I have designed, as well as the accomplishment of achieving my Master’s. Please see the examples I have provided below. I am also quite proud of sticking to the program and finishing all the work, including many group assignments I had to complete entirely on my own; some of my classmates did contribute to our assignments, helping to create excellent, authentic collaborative work. I was very grateful and proud of the work we created. Lastly, while it is more of a personal achievement, I landed my dream job this year, working with people who have mental health conditions. I get to do some counseling and advisement, and sometimes I get to tell them what to do because they are incapable of doing certain things for themselves. These accomplishments have contributed to my overall learning experience by improving the skills I use in my job providing mental health services.
Presentations:
2. What professional skills have you developed or enhanced through your participation in your educational program? How do these skills contribute to your readiness for the next steps in your career?
The professional skills that I have developed that I find most valuable at this time are SMART goals and Universal Design. I teach coping and adaptive skills, along with developing SMART goals for my clients’ needs and wants in their lives. This knowledge has improved how I share information about diagnosis and how I teach coping strategies and adaptive skills. For example, I now provide information in a variety of formats, utilizing Universal Design Principles to target learning strengths. Another example is writing Case Management Care Plans using SMART goals; goals still need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, even though they are for life and mental health services. These skills align with the curriculum for licensed clinical social work, which will help me take the next steps towards clinical work at my current employer.
Presentation:
3. How do you envision your journey of continued learning and professional development beyond the program? What areas of education are you eager to explore further?
I am honestly just going where life takes me. I do not really visualize my journey; rather, I live day to day. I am currently content and excited with my job, which is now approaching a year, with my review and raise coming up. As for education, I am excited to be finished with the science of learning; I am here for behavioral therapy and not education. They happen to have the same degree, knowledge, and experience; however, I plan to explore the education I will need to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
